Envelope feeding device



July 5, 1.932. B, WOQD 1,865,495

ENVELOPE FEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 6. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 5, 1932. B A WOOD ENVELOPE FEEDING DEVI CE Filed Dec. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICE BERNARD ANDREW woonfor CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA ENVELOPE FEEDING DEVICE Application filed December 6, 1930. Serial No. 500,611.

This invention relates to attachments for t ereto in order that they may be delivered to the platen of the typewriter for the pur- 5 pose of addressing the envelopes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel device attachable to typewriters of the Remington type where the platen is lifted for changing the case.

10 It is a further object of this invention to provide an envelope holder having novel means by which it is supported on the frame or parts of the typewriter of the character indicated to prevent lateral or longitudinal shifting of the envelope holder; and it is furthermore an object to provide means associated with the platen shaft of the typewriter for operating the mechanism that dislodges the envelope from the holder and dehvers 1t to the typewriter.

It is a still further object of this 1nvent1on to provide a follower or presser which exerts force to move the envelopes longltudmally of the reservoir or holder and to associate therewith means by which the envelopes are directed to feeding rollers by which they are successively removed from the reservoir or holder and delivered to the typewriter.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide rollers that are geared together for simultaneous movement which is effective to move theenvelopes; and it is furthermore an object to provide a guiding roller whereby the envelopes are properly directed to the location where they may be deposited on the typewriter. V

With the foregoing and other objects 1n view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to behereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of an envelope feeding device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 illustrates a view in front elevation, showing the shaft of the typewriter platen;

Figure 4 illustrates a view in elevation of the end opposite that shown in Fig. 1; and

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of a fragment of the envelope feeding device.

In these drawings 10 denotes a holder or reservoir in which envelopes are deposited by inserting them at the top when the cover 11 is raised and swung on its hinge 12. At the top of the holder 10 a plate 13 is provided having a depending flange 14 which is in the path of travel of the envelopes at their upper edges. The movement of the envelopes is therefore retarded as they are forced longitudinally of the holder and they are caused to assume an inclined position, as shown in 2, in order that the lower edges will be properly presented to the top of the feeding roller 15. It is shown in the drawing that the holder has a bottom 16 011 which the edges of the envelopes are "supported, which terminates over the roller and hence, as the envelopes are dislodged from the bottom, the edges strike the feeding roller, as shown in the drawing.

The sides and ends of the holder have in-- ternal channels such as 17. The end channels are supplied more for the purpose of the appearance of the holder, as they really are without other function, but the springs 18 travel in the side channels as the said springs are expanded and retracted. One end of each spring is anchored as at 19 at one end of the holder and the other end is attached to a follower 20 whose ends are guided in the said channels. It is shown that the channels are below the vertical center of that portion of the holder containing the envelopes and therefore the follower 2O presses onthe envelopes near their lower edges in order that they will be held in the inclined positions in which the envelopes are shown during their movement under the influence of the springs and the follower.

When the follower is moved toward the outer end of the holder as shown in dotted lines and envelopes are inserted betweeen the follower and the flange 14 and the feed'rollers, they will be removed from the holder one at a time and as they are removed the follower will, of course, advance and maintain the relative positions of the front envelopes and the feed rollers.

The feed roller 15 coacts with the roller 21 which is geared to it through the employment of ear wheels such as 22, and the roller 21 is pre erably jacketed with some yieldable friction material such as soft rubber. The shaft 23 of the roller 15 is out of alinement with the shaft 2 1 of the roller 21, as it is desirable that the lower edge of the envelope shall ride over the periphery of the roller 15 before it is under the influence of the roller 21.

A guiding roller 25 has a shaft which idles in a bearing and this shaft is slightly higher than the shaft 23, the purpose being that it will engage the envelope as it is being carried by the rollers 15 and 21 in order that it will be directed downwardly to the platen of the typewriter, as shown by the arrow, Fig. 2.

The shaft 23 has a gear wheel 26 mounted on it externally of the holder and this gear wheel is in mesh with the pinion 27 which in turn is in mesh with a pinion 28, so that by this train of gearing, power is transmitted from the gear wheel 29 on the shaft 30 of the platen of the typewriter for operating the mechanism b which envelopes are pulled from the 1101 er and delivered to the typewriting machine. T he wheel 29 and pinion 28 are normally out of engagement, but when a shift key of the character of the typewriter indicated is operated to raise the platen, the teeth of the wheels are in mesh and if the platen is manually operated the envelope delivering instrumentalities will be driven to remove an envelope from the holder and deliver it to the platen. It is shown in the drawings that the pinions 27 and 28 are mounted on stub shafts 31 and 32, respectively, carried by a bracket 33 which has its upper end anchored to a plate 34 on the holder. The lower end of the bracket is bifurcated as shown at 35 to embrace a part of the frame of the typewriter and this serves to supportthe holder and to prevent lateral displacement of it. On the opposite side of the holder and at the front thereof, a bracket 36 is likewise provided having the same characteristics as to its lower end, for the purpose of engaging the frame of a type writer.

Near the rear end of the holder, brackets such as 37 are provided and each of these is rigidly connected to the bottom of the holder, and the free end of each bracket has a jaw or bifurcated section 38 at right angles to those on the ends of the brackets 33 and 36, and the ends of these brackets 37 are intended to engage a bar which extends transversely of the frame of the typewriter and they are operative not only to support the holder, but to prevent its movement longitudinally of the typewriter so that by the means described the holder may be applied to or removed from the typewriter at the will of the operator.

I claim:

1. In an envelope feeding device, a holder having outwardly extending side walls forming channels, springs adapted to expand and contract in the said channels, means for anchoring the springs at the front of the holder, a follower extending transversely of the holder and guided in the said channels to which the other ends ofthe springs are connected, a support on which envelopes are moved longitudinally of the holder, a feeding roller rotatively mounted in the holder with its periphery substantially on the plane of the envelope support, rollers associated with the first mentioned roller for feeding and guiding envelopes, a gear connected to the first mentioned roller, a typewriter platen shaft having a gear wheel thereon, and pinions interposed between the aforesaid gear wheels for communicating the rotary motion of the platen shaft to the feed roller.

2. In an envelope feeding device, a holder, brackets depending from the holder at the front thereof and having ends adapted to embrace parts of the frame of a typewriter and operative to prevent lateral movement of the holder with relation to the typewriter, brackets depending from the holder at its rear end and having jaws opening at right angles to those of the first mentioned brackets and operative to engage an element of a typewriter for supporting the holder at the rear and preventing longitudinal movement of the holder, said holder having outwardly extending side walls forming channels, springs adapted to expand and contract in the said channels, means for anchoring the springs at the front of the holder, a follower extending transversely of the holder and guided in the said channels to which the other ends of the springs are connected, a support on which envelopes are moved longitudinally of the holder, a feeding roller rotatively mounted in the holder with its periphery substantially on the plane of the envelope support, rollers associated with the first mentioned roller for feeding and guiding envelopes, a gear connected to the first mentioned roller, a typewriter platen shaft having a gear wheel thereon, and pinions interposed between the aforesaid gear wheels for communicating the rotary motion of the platen shaft to the feed roller.

BERNARD ANDREW WOOD. 

